Nathan Field
Google Guaranteed has been replaced by one new badge called Google Verified, and the money back guarantee that came with it is ending. If your business already passed Google's Local Services checks, you got the new badge with nothing to do. If you are new, you earn it by passing Google's screening and verification.
This guide is for home service businesses and law firms that saw the Google Guaranteed or Google Screened badge on Local Services Ads and want to know where it went. Every fact below comes from Google's own help pages, checked on 18 October 2026. Google's old help page for the Google Guarantee now opens the Google Verified page instead. Where Google says nothing, we say so.
The short answer
- Google now uses "a single badge for all advertisers" on Local Services Ads. It is called Google Verified.
- Google is ending the Money Back Guarantee that came with the Google Guarantee badge.
- Customers can still claim for jobs booked through Local Services Ads before 7 December 2025, within 30 days of the job being finished.
- Advertisers who already passed verification got Google Verified automatically. Their ads kept running.
- New advertisers get the badge once they pass every check Google asks for.
- Google says the change does not affect how Local Services Ads rank.
What was Google Guaranteed?
Google Guaranteed was a badge on Local Services Ads, and it came with a money back promise for customers who booked a job through the ad. Local Services Ads are the paid listings at the top of a Google search, where you pay per lead instead of per click.
Google's current page confirms the link between the two. It says Google "will be discontinuing the Money Back Guarantee associated with the Google Guarantee badge." So the badge told a customer two things. This business passed Google's checks. And if the job went wrong, they could ask Google for their money back.
We cannot quote the old guarantee terms from Google today. Google's old help page for the Google Guarantee now sends you to the new Google Verified page. Any blog that still lists the old cover limits is quoting a page Google has taken down.
What was Google Screened, and is it gone too?
Google Screened was the second badge on Local Services Ads, and Google's new page points to it going too, without naming it. The Google Verified page says Google is "launching a single badge for all advertisers." One badge for everyone leaves no room for a second one.
Google's help pages barely mention Google Screened now. The one line we found sits on Google's requirements page. It says some real estate agents "have received the Google Screened badge" because of their state's licence rules. Nothing on Google's current pages offers Google Screened as a badge you can still apply for.
If you run a law firm, the badge you can earn now is Google Verified. It is the same badge a plumber gets. The checks behind it are different, as the table further down shows. For the wider picture on where firms find cases, see our guide to law firm lead generation.
What is the Google Verified badge?
Google Verified is the one badge Google now gives every Local Services Ads advertiser that passes its checks. Google's help page says it "will display on the Local Services Ads profile, and it may dynamically appear on other surfaces where it adds consumer value."
Google also says "relevant verifications will also be called out on verified profiles." So a customer can see which checks you passed, like a licence. Google's screening page adds that the licences it has verified are shown on your provider profile.
Google's own Local Services Ads page describes these ads as "pay-per-lead listings for verified local service providers, which appear at the top of the page and feature a Google Verified badge." It also says the badge on your Business Profile helps first-time customers choose you with confidence.
| What | Before | Now |
|---|---|---|
| The badge | Google Guaranteed, plus Google Screened | Google Verified, one badge for all advertisers |
| Money back for customers | The Money Back Guarantee, tied to the Google Guarantee badge | Ending. Claims only for jobs booked before 7 December 2025 |
| Advertisers who were already verified | Showed the old badge | Got Google Verified automatically, no action needed |
| New advertisers | Passed Local Services screening and verification | Pass Local Services screening and verification |
| Ad ranking | An auction on your bid and profile quality | Google says ranking "won't be affected by this change" |
Source: Google's help pages About Google Verified badge and About ad rankings, checked 18 October 2026.
What happens to the Google Guarantee money back promise now?
Google is ending it. Its help page says: "Eligible consumers can submit the request for reimbursement for services booked through Local Services Ads before December 7, 2025. Requests must be submitted within 30 days of the initial service completion date."
In plain words, a job booked through your ad before 7 December 2025 may still be covered, if the customer claims within 30 days of the job being done. A job booked after that is not. Google's page does not give a separate launch date for the new badge, so we will not guess one.
If you used the old badge in your own marketing, do two things:
- Take "Google Guaranteed" off your website, quotes, emails and van signs. The promise behind it is ending, so the words now mislead.
- If you told customers "Google backs our work", stop saying it. Offer your own guarantee instead, in your own words, and only promise what you will really do.
The badge now says you passed Google's checks. It no longer says Google will pay if a job goes wrong.
Do you need to do anything if you already had the badge?
No. Google says "for existing advertisers, no action is required." Every eligible advertiser who had already finished verification got Google Verified automatically, and the ads kept running.
There is one catch. Verification is not a one-time job. Google's screening page says advertisers "are regularly re-evaluated." If Google asks you for a follow-up review, do it fast. Google says failing to complete one "may result in the loss of their badge, a pause on their ads, or account suspension."
So keep three things up to date:
- Your insurance certificate. Google wants it valid for at least 14 days after you upload it.
- Your licences, at state level where your trade needs them.
- Your Google Business Profile. Google says Local Services advertisers must have a public and verified one.
If your profile is ever taken down, our guide to a suspended Google Business Profile shows how to get it back.
How do you get the Google Verified badge as a new advertiser?
You sign up for Local Services Ads and pass Google's screening and verification. Google says the badge "will be issued once you've met all of the verification requirements." It also says the checks take 3 to 4 weeks on average after you submit your documents, so start early.
Google's screening page says the process "varies by business category and location and may include background, business registration, insurance, and license checks, and minimum review requirements." Your Local Services dashboard shows which checks apply to you. Work through them in this order:
- Verify your Google Business Profile. Google says advertisers "must have a public and verified Google Business profile." The person doing the checks must also be an owner or manager of that profile.
- Pass the business registration check. In the US, for select businesses, Google uses your D-U-N-S number from Dun & Bradstreet. Google says applying for one "can take up to 30 days," so check if you already have one. Without one, Google accepts a Secretary of State registration, an EIN from the IRS or a Department of Revenue registration.
- Pass the business representative check. For select US businesses, the person setting up the account proves they can act for the business. Then they send a clear, unexpired government photo ID for an identity check.
- Pass background checks where your trade needs them. In select categories in the US and Canada, Google checks the business, the owners and the field workers who go into customers' homes. Google says "businesses aren't charged for the background check," and there is no credit check.
- Upload your insurance. Send a certificate of insurance with a policy number, the name you advertise under, and at least the amount your category needs. The dashboard shows that amount.
- Prove your licences. Google checks state or country level licences where they apply, and shows the ones it verified on your profile.
Some US advertisers get a faster route. Google says a business may be eligible for "accelerated verification, allowing them to get the Google Verified badge quickly." They "then have 14 days to complete additional verification steps to keep their ad serving."
Make every name match. Google's pages ask, again and again, for the business name to match across your documents, your insurance and your profile. Check that before you upload anything. It is the easiest delay to avoid.
What checks will Google run on a plumber or a law firm?
It depends on your category. Here is what Google's US requirements list shows for two common ones.
| Check | Plumber | Personal injury lawyer |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Not listed | Business owner identity verification |
| Background | Business and owner checks (select users), plus service professional background checks | Business check (select users) |
| Business registration | Business check and business representative check (select users) | Business check and business representative check (select users) |
| Insurance | General liability insurance (select users) | Professional liability insurance |
| Licence | Business and owner licence at state level, where local law needs it | State bar licence checks for each personal injury lawyer in the firm |
Source: Google's Business screening and verification requirements, checked 18 October 2026.
Plumbers get extra checks for a reason. Google calls plumbing "an urgent category" because people often call a plumber for something like a hot water outage. So plumbing professionals "undergo an additional level of screening." If you are a plumber weighing up this channel against the others, our guide on how to get more plumbing leads puts it in order.
Law firms get bar licence checks for every lawyer in the firm. That is the check most likely to slow a firm down, so have each lawyer's bar details ready. If you want help with the rest of your firm's marketing, see our page for law firms.
One more rule worth knowing before you start. If a business fails a background check and the final decision is disqualification, Google says it must wait 30 days to reapply. If the second try is denied too, the wait is 180 days.
Does the Google Verified badge help your ads rank higher?
Not by itself. Google says Local Services Ads ranking "won't be affected by this change." But the checks behind the badge do count. Google's ad rankings page lists "the verification checks you have completed" as part of profile quality, next to your rating, number of reviews, response time and photos.
Ranking is an auction. Google weighs your bid and how likely your ad is to bring a lead. A big part of that is how fast you respond. Google says "missed calls may negatively affect your responsiveness." We covered why a missed call now costs you twice in our post on Local Services Ads charging for missed calls.
The badge lets you run the ads. Answering every call is what keeps them working.
Can you get Google Verified without paying for Local Services Ads?
Not from anything Google publishes today. Google's page describes Google Verified as a badge for advertisers, earned through the Local Services screening process. We found no Google page that offers it any other way.
The checks themselves have no fee that Google states, and Google says businesses are not charged for background checks. What you pay for is leads. Google's Local Services Ads page says "you only pay for customers," not clicks. Its ranking page says your bid is "the maximum amount you're willing to pay for a lead." Google does not publish a set price per lead, so check your own dashboard, not a blog.
Is the Google Verified badge worth chasing?
It is worth it if you can answer calls fast and want leads that come straight to you. A Local Services lead is a customer calling or messaging your business from your own ad. That is different from lead marketplaces, where you often compete with other pros for the same job, as we found in our Angi leads review.
This will not suit you if nobody can pick up the phone during the day. Google ranks you on responsiveness, so a slow reply costs you twice: fewer leads, and a lower spot.
And if all you want is the badge, you do not need an agency. Google's dashboard walks you through every check, and the checks cost nothing. Do it yourself. Where we help is everything around it. Running Local Services Ads is part of our ads service, next to search ads, a site that turns visits into calls and the follow-up after the lead comes in. If you would rather hand all of that over, see how Havstock Unlimited works.
FAQ
Is Google Guaranteed still available?
No. Google now uses a single badge for all Local Services advertisers, called Google Verified, and it is ending the Money Back Guarantee tied to the old badge. Google's old help page for the Google Guarantee now opens the Google Verified page. New advertisers can only earn the Google Verified badge.
What is the difference between Google Guaranteed and Google Screened?
They were two separate badges on Local Services Ads. Google Guaranteed came with a money back promise for customers. Google Screened was the second badge, and Google's pages now barely mention it. Today Google says it uses one badge for all advertisers, so the old split no longer applies.
Can my customers still use the Google Guarantee?
Only for older jobs. Google says eligible customers can ask for reimbursement for services booked through Local Services Ads before 7 December 2025. They must send the request within 30 days of the job being finished. Jobs booked after that date are not covered by any Google money back promise.
How long does it take to get the Google Verified badge?
Google says screening and verification takes 3 to 4 weeks on average after you submit your documents. Some US businesses qualify for accelerated verification and get the badge quickly, then have 14 days to finish the extra steps. A D-U-N-S number application alone can take up to 30 days.
Does the Google Verified badge cost anything?
Google states no fee for the badge, and it says businesses are not charged for background checks. You pay for leads from Local Services Ads, not for the badge itself. Google does not publish a set price per lead. Your bid is the most you are willing to pay for one.
Can you lose the Google Verified badge?
Yes. Google says advertisers are regularly re-evaluated. If you are asked for a follow-up review and do not complete it, you may lose the badge, have your ads paused or have your account suspended. Keep your insurance, licences and Business Profile up to date so the checks pass again.
Do you need a Google Business Profile to get Google Verified?
Yes. Google says Local Services advertisers must have a public and verified Google Business Profile. The person doing the Local Services checks must also be an owner or manager of that profile. Sort out the profile first, because every other check builds on it.
What should you do this week?
If you already advertise on Local Services Ads, check your profile shows the new badge, and make sure your insurance and licences are current. Then search your website and quotes for the words Google Guaranteed and replace them.
If you are new, verify your Google Business Profile first, then open a Local Services Ads account and look at the checks your dashboard lists. Google Guaranteed is gone. The checks behind Google Verified are where the work is now.
